When Home Comes Calling
by Tsuki-no-Kurokage
Summary: Sequel to WDCK. Our favourite foursome have to get to Natsume and Ruka's hometown. When they do, they'll have to escape the eyes of the Academy and the higherups, and find a place they can truly call home. Discontinued.
1. Separated

When Home Comes Calling

Author's Note: _Konnichiwa, minna-san! _I am back with the sequel to WDCK! And the title of the sequel is (as you can see) WHCC, When Home Comes Calling! I've only revealed this 'secret' to one of my faithful readers and reviewers of WDCK, and I thank that reviewer for keeping it under wraps. Anyways, let's get started.

Shadow: Well, _**finally.**_

Aritia: Don't be rude, Shadow! Just carry on, U.R.!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything concerning Gakuen Alice.

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Chapter 1 – Separated

"Are you sure about this, my daughter?" Yuka asked Mikan. Mikan slowly nodded, and Yuka continued, "Well, if this is the path you've chosen, then I will not have a say in this. However, Mikan, I really hope you'll be careful."

Mikan nodded again. "_Hai, okaa-san. Wakarimashita_."

"And you know… there's something else I have to ask of you." Mikan made a face that looked like 'Go on' and Yuka went on, "May I escape with you?"

Mikan's eyes widened in horror. "What?! But Mom, I thought you wanted to stay here and…"

"Hush, my daughter. I haven't finished what I'm saying yet. Anyway, I want to escape with you, but I may not be heading towards the same destination as you will be heading off to. I just want to… get away from this Academy as well. It won't be long till the higher-ups find me in this Academy. They're already slow enough, taking more than a year to find me in this Academy, but I can't take any chances. I'll be going off somewhere too, Mikan, and I hope we'll meet each other again."

"You mean we… We won't see each other again…?" Mikan asked, tears forming in her auburn eyes.

"We'll pray that we will see each other again somewhere, sometime." Yuka hugged her dear Mikan close, and gave her the biggest embrace Mikan ever got from her. "I'll miss you, Mikan."

Mikan hugged back and let the tears from her eyes drip onto the ground. "I'll miss you too, Mom…"

"And promise me… that no matter how horrid the Academy and the higher-ups can get, don't ever hate Alices. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mom. I promise."

- - - - -

Mikan tip-toed out of her room, and gently knocked onto Hotaru's door to see if she was ready. Hotaru ordered Mikan to stay outside the door for she hadn't received the Ghostly Bracelets from Hotaru yet. Hotaru even threw in some insults at Mikan, calling her an 'impatient idiotic baka' or even just plain 'baka', and added in some hits from her baka cannon just to get Mikan to shut up. After half an hour, Hotaru was finally ready with her Ghostly Bracelets and her luggage, while Mikan was ready with her backpack and some complaints.

"Mou! Hotaru-chan, what were you _**doing **_in there?! Natsume-kun and Ruka-pyon are about to leave soon!" Mikan complained.

"What else but count my precious money?" Hotaru replied casually.

"Is _**money **_more precious than Ruka?!"

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out. Now, let's hurry up," Hotaru stated emotionlessly, picking up speed in her walking. Mikan tried to catch up with her.

"Mou, Hotaru-chan! I don't even know what that means!!"

"Just shut up and keep running! And put on the Ghostly Bracelets while you're at it! Here!" Hotaru yelled, tossing the Ghostly Bracelets over to Mikan who caught them effortlessly. She put the bracelets on, and so did Hotaru. "Now, think about which power to use, and it should be activated. Come on, hurry! We're about to reach the limousine! And I don't see Hyuuga and Ruka-kun anywhere!"

"Okay, okay! Let's use both intangibility and invisibility! How about that?"

"Finally, you're using your brain," Hotaru muttered under her breath. Both girls activated both the powers within the two bracelets they were wearing, and soon they were completely invisible. They spotted a limousine, and used intangibility to enter the car boot. "Now, let's deactivate intangibility, or else we'll fall through the car boot."

"OK, Hotaru. I wonder where Natsume-kun and Ruka-pyon's hometown is. Do you know where it is, Hotaru-chan?"

"No, and I don't intend to find out so soon. We'll know once we get there."

"But, uh, Hotaru? How do we breathe in here?"

"… I didn't think about that."

"You WHAT?! We'll die in here! Oh no!"

"_Damare, _Mikan! We may be invisible, but we can be heard! And the more you talk, the less oxygen there'll be in here!" Hotaru scolded, and Mikan cowered to a corner of the boot. She whimpered out an OK and their conversation ended quickly. Just then, the limousine started to move. Hotaru and Mikan sighed in relief, glad that the limousine had finally started to move. The journey was unsteady; there were many bumps and the limousine went up and down, up and down, up and down. Mikan nearly threw up and Hotaru was trying the best she could to get away from the sick Mikan.

"Ugh, when are we getting off? I hope it's before this idiot here throws up on me," Hotaru complained, as she used the intangibility to move her intangible head through the car boot to check out where they were going. It seemed like they were getting nowhere, except for the fact that they were in a forest. Hotaru went back into the car boot, and disabled intangibility for a while. "Well, we're apparently in the middle of an unknown forest, miles away from the stinkin' Academy. And maybe we're getting closer and closer to Hyuuga and Ruka-kun's hometown. Anyway, Mikan, do you want to see them or something?"

"Huh? See them? We can do that?"

"Duh. Use intangibility and go through the car and you'd be able to see them seated in the limousine."

"Okay, I'll try," Mikan replied, using intangibility power. She phased through and looked around, but all she saw was an empty limousine, except for the driver at the front of course. Other than that, the limousine was damn empty. Mikan entered the car boot once more, disabling intangibility. "Hotaru, the limousine's empty."

"That can't be, baka, let me go see." After a while, Hotaru returned, and even though Mikan couldn't see it since both were invisible, Hotaru had a shocked look on her face. "M-Mikan… I think… we've got on the wrong limousine…"

"E-eh?!?!"

- - - - -

Natsume and Ruka sighed as they sat down in the limousine. Mentally, they wished Mikan and Hotaru good luck in escaping with them to their hometown. Hoping that their respective girlfriends were already in the car boot, Natsume and Ruka couldn't help but sigh once more as Natsume put his hands behind his head to support it, and Ruka began petting his rabbit. The limousine started to move, and all of Natsume and Ruka's fangirls all came charging towards them, waving good-bye at their favourite boys, even though they were already taken.

Hours passed since they've left the Academy grounds, and Natsume and Ruka looked out of the windows. Random leaves of bushes brushed past by, and sometimes they tickled the two boys. It annoyed Natsume greatly, and it made Ruka feel weirdly uncomfortable. Thye wound up the windows, and told the driver to switch on the air-conditioner of the limousine. Boy, they were enjoying a suite life within just a limousine…

… until the limousine halted to a stop all of a sudden.

"Oi, what's going on here?" Natsume asked the driver.

"Well, uh, apparently, the limousine is low on petrol and it, uh, can't move any longer…" the driver explained.

"Oh, great. Just great," Natsume replied sarcastically.

"Hey, Natsume, I think I'd better tell the girls…" Ruka whispered in Natsume's ear. Natsume told him to go on ahead and check out where they were stranded in while he was at it. "We're stranded in the middle of nowhere, Natsume. It looks like a forest of some sort."

"Forest? Oh, _**that **_forest," Natsume replied. "I remember that was when I first saw you use your Alice, Ruka. It was the incident with that bear, remember?"

Ruka blushed in embarrassment to that. "D-don't remind me, Natsume… It's still embarrassing… Anyway, I'll go check on the girls… Whoa! Natsume! We got an emergency!"

"Hn? What?"

"The girls… They're not in the car boot!!"

"…" Natsume stared at Ruka and Ruka stared back at Natsume. Natsume then said, "Maybe they're still invisible. Try poking the car boot. If you feel something, then they're probably there. If not, then, it's a _**real **_emergency."

"I'll go check it out!" Ruka rushed back to the car boot, and opened it. He picked up a random stick lying on the ground, and began poking every single space in the car boot. However, he couldn't feel anything when he was poking around, so he dropped the stick and rushed back to Natsume's side. "I've tried, Natsume! I don't feel anything!"

"Oh great," Natsume began his sarcastic rant. "The limousine's out of fuel, we're stuck in the middle of nowhere, and our girlfriends are missing. Can things get any worse than they are already?" As if on cue, a tree trunk fell down in front of the limousine, and it prevented the limousine from getting over, even if the limousine had any fuel. "Okay. Maybe they could get worse than they are already…"

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A/N: And that's it for chapter 1. Oh man, I'm so damn sleepy… It's, um… Midnight?! Wow! I love midnight!

…Ahem. Ok, it's short, but that's all I can go so far. I hope no one minds.

Next chapter: Mikan and Hotaru have to work together to find their boyfriends, and Natsume and Ruka have to work together to get home and find their girlfriends. Will the two parties succeed in their day's goals? Find out in the next chapter 'Let's Get Reunited!'!

Shadow: Aritia's sound asleep, finally. I am not, for I am a denizen of the night. I only sleep in the day.

Me: Um… Shadow, what you're saying doesn't have anything to do with this fic.

Shadow: Do I look like I _**care**_?

Me: o.0 (gets scared) Okay, you win… (backs off)

_D__amare: Shut up__　だまれ_


	2. Let's Get Reunited!

Author's Note: Wow, every single time I open my inbox, there'll always be new mail. And they're all filled with such sweet remarks about my stories here. I am so damn happy!! _Arigatou _to every single person who reviews my stories! The reviews always make my day! This chapter will also, unfortunately, be very short. I'm so sorry to say that… It's because I'm rushing through this chapter. I have camp from next Monday all the way to next Wednesday, so I'll probably not update next week as well. So sorry… _Gomen…_ I really want to, but it's compulsory for me to attend camp… Sniff…

Shadow: Stop crying. It only shows that you're weak.

Aritia: Just let it all out, U.R. It'll make you feel better.

Shadow + Aritia: …….

Disclaimer: I don't own anything concerning Gakuen Alice.

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Chapter 2 – Let's Get Reunited!

Mikan and Hotaru deactivated the Ghostly Bracelets as soon as they phased out of the car boot. The limousine moved on without noticing anything, of course, and Mikan and Hotaru rushed over to a random tree to hide behind, in case anyone they knew happened to come along and saw them out of the Academy. It was not very likely that would happen, but Hotaru had decided that they shouldn't take any risks about it, and that it would be a whole lot better if they could hide just in case.

"We _**got **_to find Natsume, Hotaru! I'm missing him already…" Mikan whined, tugging Hotaru's sleeve.

"Quiet, Mikan! And stop tugging my sleeve! I _**know **_that you miss your sweet boyfriend…" Hotaru turned away, and muttered out a 'yuck', before turning back to face Mikan. "And so do I." Hotaru did the same action as before. "But we'll have to get out of this forest before we can find them. That's our first priority right now. Once we get out of this forest, we can go and find them later."

"But what if they're in this forest, Hotaru?"

"Don't be silly, Mikan. They're probably at their hometown right now, wondering where we went," Hotaru commented, striking Mikan with her baka cannon.

"Ouch! Hotaru-chan…! How on earth did you manage to sneak _**that **_out?!" Mikan shouted, pointing at Hotaru's baka cannon.

"Oh, you mean my darling baka cannon? It's quite simple, actually. See this bag?" Hotaru asked, pointing at the gigantic green bag she carried along with her. "I put majority of my darling babies in there."

"Then how on _**earth **_did you manage to carry that with you without me even noticing it?!"

**Baka! Baka! Baka!**

"_ITAI…!!!_" Mikan screamed in pain, rubbing her head from the shots she received from Hotaru's baka cannon.

"I used invention 042, the Size Factor, to shrink it." Hotaru put on her professor hat and began explaining, "_Invention no. 042: The Size Factor. It is a small cube box with two buttons on top of it. One is coloured red and the other, green. The red button makes objects larger while the green button makes objects smaller. Point the cube box towards on object which you want to change the size of, and press the button. A small ray of light from the cube box will cause the transformation._"

"…" Mikan looked at Hotaru, and then at the empty space Hotaru was talking to, and back at Hotaru again. "Hotaru-chan, who were you talking to?"

Hotaru ignored her, and said, "Now, let's get out of here."

"But Hotaru…!"

"No buts, Mikan. Just shut up and come along. We'd better get out of here before dark."

Mikan didn't reply. Instead, she picked up her backpack, and reluctantly followed the blackmailer.

- - - - -

"This sucks, Ruka. This _**really **_sucks."

"I know, Natsume. I know."

It had been hours since Natsume and Ruka have been stuck in the middle of nowhere – apparently, a forest – and no help had come at all. The driver's mobile phone had no reception in the forest – actually, it had run low on battery – and Natsume and Ruka didn't have a mobile phone with them. Students at the Academy weren't allowed to possess any mobile phones with them. It was to lessen the chances of students calling their families when they weren't allowed to at all. The tree that had fallen in front of them couldn't be moved nor burned. Natsume had tried using his Fire Alice on it, but because he didn't use it much – or didn't use at all – for the past year or so, his Fire Alice could only land a huge charred mark on the tree, but that was all.

"Natsume, why don't you try using your Alice again? Treat this as some practice session," Ruka asked, hugging his rabbit.

"Okay, Ruka, I'll try," Natsume sighed, bracing himself for the 'practice session'. His hands went up in flames, and Natsume threw some fireballs at the tree, trying to make the tree AT LEAST _**burn **_a little. After a minute or two, Natsume was seen sitting on the ground, panting. He had thrown a total of 27 fireballs at the tree, and successfully made the tree burn.

"See, Natsume? You did it! You made the tree burn!"

"Yeah, but… pant… It's not enough, Ruka. I want it to… pant… burst into flames! That was the standard I achieved when I was 10!"

"You're not 10 anymore, Natsume. And neither am I. We're 12 now, and things are different. You haven't been using your Alice at all, since it's too risky for you to do so unless you were on a mission, so now that you can make a tree _**that **_big burn a little, it shows that you're getting there!"

"No, Ruka. It's not enough. I really need to… get stronger." Natsume looked down, letting his bangs cover his eyes. He added, "For Mikan." But the last bit was so soft, it was barely above a whisper, thus Ruka didn't catch it.

"Come on, Natsume. We'd better get back in to the limousine and wait for that tree to burn down."

"Ruka, go in without me for now. I'll get back to you later," Natsume decided, throwing fireballs towards the tree once more. Ruka sweat dropped anime style, and sighed. Knowing Natsume by then, Ruka should've guessed or known that his best friend would rather 'practise' than rest.

"Okay, Natsume. Whatever you say," Ruka replied, adding a small smile on his face. Holding onto his little rabbit, Ruka went back into the limousine with the driver, and waited patiently for help to arrive, and for his best friend to come as well. Ruka patted his rabbit, waiting and waiting. He watched Natsume continuously hulling fireballs at the tree, which was beginning to get covered in flames. And Ruka watched the driver try to get his mobile phone charged. He smiled again, and went back to patting his rabbit.

All of a sudden, a red fiery blast boomed right in front of his eyes. Ruka covered his eyes, and clinged onto his rabbit. When the flash of fiery red light dimmed, Ruka slowly opened his eyes, and the first person he saw was…

"Is that you, Hotaru?"

**SLAP!**

"Ow…" Ruka mumbled to himself, rubbing his head.

"You _**really **_need to pay more attention to your surroundings, Ruka," Natsume commented hiding his anger. An anger vein was popping on his head as he did so. "And stop daydreaming about your blackmailing girlfriend for once, could you?"

Ruka blushed, and nodded embarrassedly. He looked up, waiting for Natsume to say something, but knowing that Natsume would probably say nothing, so Ruka spoke, "So, uh, Natsume?"

"Hn?"

"Did you manage to burn down the tree?"

Natsume pointed to the badly charred tree. "Is _**that **_proof enough?"

"Y-yeah… I guess so…" Ruka trailed off, knowing that he shouldn't have stated the obvious. He glanced around the forest background, and saw something move in the bushes, but quickly ignored it. However, the continuous annoying sound of the bushes rustling began to get on his nerves, as well as Natsume's.

"Geez, what in crap's name is rustling in the bushes?" Natsume mumbled to himself. "Maybe I should burn that thing…"

"Wait, Natsume!" Ruka stopped Natsume from throwing the fireball towards the bushes. "It could be an injured animal or something. Let me check it out!"

"Tch. Fine, do what you like, Ruka."

Ruka smiled as a form of gratitude, and went on to find out what was in the bushes.

- - - - -

"Are we there yet, Hotaru?"

"No."

"Oh, OK."

Silence.

"Are we there yet, Hotaru?"

"No."

"Oh, OK."

Silence again.

"Are we there yet, Hotaru."

"Damn it, Mikan! I said no!"

"O-oh, O-OK…"

Deathly silence penetrated the two girls' surroundings. It went on like that until…

"Are we - ?"

"That's it…" Hotaru murmured, holding up her baka cannon _**and **_her baka machine gun. She reloaded both baka weapons, and aimed them towards Mikan. "Don't worry, Mikan. These weapons have _**just **_been upgraded, so they won't hurt you one bit," Hotaru explained sarcastically.

"A-are you sure about this, H-Hotaru…?"

"Sure I'm sure. After all, I am in need of a useful and idiotic guinea pig to test out my new version of the baka gun: the baka _**machine **_gun."

"W-w-what's the difference?"

"The baka gun can only shoot one at a time, and it takes some time to charge up for another shot. However, as for the baka machine gun…" Hotaru grinned evilly. "Well, you'll just have to see it for yourself."

**BAKA! BAKA! BAKA! BAAAAAKKKAAA!!! **Went the baka cannon. Mikan was already literally crying due to the pain. She couldn't help but wonder how painful the machine gun would be, now that she had experienced the upgraded baka cannon. And so…

**BAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKA****…!!!!!**

"WWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" Mikan cried, still getting hit by the baka machine gun. After Hotaru finally stopped her mindless 'shooting' spree, Mikan was lying on the ground, letting tears fall from her sore eyes. "Sniff… H-Hotaru is such a big meanie… Sniff…"

"Say that one more time, and you shall face the wrath of my baka _**shotgun**_."

Mikan didn't reply. She just continued crying. Hotaru began to soften, just a _**tiny little bit**_.

"Alright, alright… I promise not to hit you again, unless of course, you don't shut your mouth. Is that clear, Mikan?"

Mikan nodded, and wiped the tears away from her eyes. She began smiling that trademark smile of hers again.

"And stop smiling so sheepishly. You're no longer 10, you know. You're 12," Hotaru stated, beginning to walk off, with Mikan trailing behind her, still smiling her trademark smile. Unbeknownst to her and Hotaru for the fact, Ruka had spotted them in the bushes, and had rushed off to tell Natsume.

"Natsume! Natsume!" Ruka called out for his best friend. Natsume turned to face him, a look of surprise evident on his face. "Natsume!"

"Yeah, what is it, Ruka?"

"I… I saw Hotaru-chan and Mikan!"

Natsume's eyes widened. "Really?! Where are they now, Ruka?"

Ruka stiffened a little, not used to seeing his best friend having an outburst like that. "Well, they are behind those bushes over there. We'd better call them over here, before they get lost."

"Alright, let's go and get them!"

And thus…

That was how Sakura Mikan, Hyuuga Natsume, Imai Hotaru and Nogi Ruka – the four famous students of the Alice Academy – finally got reunited.

But would they survive the journey…

For a place they could truly call home?

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A/N: Well, that's for chapter 2. I hope you like it so far! I'm struggling with not one, not two, but THREE major fanfics right now. Ouch… I think I'll rest for a while before I update another fic… And I am so damn excited for tomorrow because I am going to **Umbreon-Blue**'s house! Whooo yeah!

Next chapter: The foursome gets reunited and since the limousine to Natsume and Ruka's hometown has run out of petrol, the foursome would have to survive the wilderness of the forest. It'll be one chaotic and romantic situation in a normal yet gigantic forest!

Shadow: Ew, I hate romance. No, wait, let me rephrase that – I hate boys. I'd be caught dead dating a boy.

Aritia: But I think love is the best thing in the entire universe! It makes the world go round! The world revolves around love! Ah…

Shadow: U.R., what do you think?

Me: Me? Well… I think, uh…

Aritia: No pressure, U.R.

Me: Hmm… I think that love is a wonderful feeling. But right now, the only love I go for is the love I have for friends and family. Nothing more, nothing less. Besides, what has _**this **_got to do with the fic?!

Aritia: Shadow brought it up, not me.

Shadow: If you'll excuse me, I'll be in my room – barfing.

Me: And I'll be off to update another fic. Aritia, have fun talking to yourself.

Aritia: …


	3. Environmentally Lovely

Author's Note: Well… I have nothing to say at this moment. Just check out my profile to find out the reasons why I don't update often. Please sit back and enjoy this chapter. Thank you for your kind understanding. Oh yes, this chapter will be a short one.

Shadow: Well… That was short.

Aritia: _**Too **_short if you ask me! U.R. what the hell do you think you're doing?! Bore your readers to death?!

Shadow: That's not such a bad killing method, you know… Boring them _**to death, **_huh? Thanks for being such a great opposite, Aritia. I hope to see you bored to death.

Aritia: You…!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything concerning Gakuen Alice.

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Chapter 3 – Environmentally Lovely

"Oi, baka Mikan!" Natsume yelled out, hoping that Mikan could hear him. Thankfully, though, she heard him, loudly and clearly. She spun around, and the first person she saw was Natsume himself.

"Na… Natsume-kun?" Mikan breathed, not believing that she had finally found her beloved. "Natsume-kun! It's really you!!" Mikan yelled in happiness, rushing towards the fire caster. She jumped and threw herself at him, causing him to stumble backwards while carrying her bridal style. "Yay yay yay yay!!! I finally found you, Natsume-kuuuun…!" Mikan then proceeded to give Natsume a death hug. A hug hugged so tightly Natsume could hardly breathe.

"Whatever, Mikan… cough! Now could you _**get off me **_before I… cough! …Before I _**choke**_!!!" Natsume coughed.

"Ooopsie! _Gomen, _Natsume-kun!" Mikan apologized, releasing Natsume from her death hug. Natsume stood there, gasping for air before dusting himself and neatly tidying his clothes. Mikan waited, and while she did, she looked around for Hotaru but couldn't find her anywhere. "Natsume, have you seen Hotaru?"

"Are you blind, baka? She's right there with Ruka," Natsume simply retorted, continuing to dust himself. Mikan turned and saw Hotaru with Ruka. She saw Hotaru hugging Ruka with Ruka hugging Hotaru back. Mikan was about to comment that it was such a romantic scene, but the happy moment was spoiled when Hotaru released Ruka and began shooting him with her baka machine gun.

"You idiot, where have you been? Do you know how tiring it is to be stuck with Mikan all day long without a slave to order around? How could you abandon me, your master, like that? For punishment, carry my precious inventions all the way to your hometown. Understood, slave?" Hotaru evilly reprimanded. She stopped shooting Ruka with her baka machine gun and Ruka just gave her a smile while rubbing his head.

Mikan clung onto Natsume while Hotaru kept pointing her baka machine gun at Ruka's head as the boys led the way to where their limousine was. Apparently, the limousine was still stuck there since no help had come along at all, and the driver still couldn't receive any reception on his phone even though the phone's battery had been fully charged, so it wasn' the battery problem this time round. Natsume sighed, Ruka stared, Mikan didn't care since Natsume was with her and Hotaru seemed indifferent. Hotaru, knowing that the driver still hadn't noticed that she and Mikan were there, ordered Mikan to activate their Ghostly Bracelets before the driver noticed them. Mikan agreed and activated the Ghostly Bracelets. Natsume told the girls to hide back in the car boot so they did, even though Hotaru was unwilling to leave her slave – Ruka – behind.

Hours passed by and there was still no help arriving at all. The driver finally received reception on his phone and tried calling for help from the Academy, but Natsume and Ruka, fearing for the girls' safety, advised the driver to call for help from the truck. (A/N: I have no idea what that truck, which hooks onto cars and drives them away, is called so I'll just call it a truck.) The driver just obeyed and called for help from the truck. Still, no help had arrived, and soon, evening came. The driver, obviously tired out from the day's events, took a nap in the limousine. Thinking that it was finally safe for the girls to come out, Natsume and Ruka called for Mikan and Hotaru to get out of the car boot and deactivate their Ghostly Bracelets – for now.

"Natsume, I'm hungry. Is there anything to eat here?" Mikan asked nicely. Natsume pondered.

"Slave Ruka, I'm hungry. Find me some decent food in this forest right now," Hotaru ordered. Ruka sweat dropped anime style.

"I'll go with Ruka to find some food in the forest. You girls stay here and if that lazy, idiotic driver wakes up, remember to activate the Ghostly Bracelets," Natsume replied. Mikan gave him an assuring smile, and Natsume dragged Ruka deep into the forest to look for food for their girlfriends. It didn't take them long, however, for Natsume and Ruka possessed really good survival skills and managed to find some fruits, nuts and berries for dinner. They returned to their 'campsite' and showed their girlfriends what they had found deep in the forest.

"Ooh, Natsume! You're back! What'd you find?" Mikan asked curiously and hungrily. She stole a glance at the many varieties of fruits, nuts and berries Natsume and Ruka were holding onto and couldn't help but drool a little.

"Ruka found all these fruits and nuts by asking his animal friends in the forest to gather them for us. I found the berries in the bushes instead," Natsume simply replied.

"Both you and Ruka are equally capable! Hotaru, don't you think so?" Mikan turned to look at Hotaru, but she wasn't there. "Eh? Hotaru-chan?" Mikan looked around and finally saw Hotaru with Ruka again. She was eating the fruits Ruka offered her, and even ordered Ruka to mouth-feed her. Mikan and Natsume sweat dropped anime style. "H-Hotaru… What are you…?"

"Well, for one, I'm telling my boyfriend-cum-slave to mouth-feed me. And you're wrong, Mikan. Well, half-wrong, I suppose. Your boyfriend _**is **_capable, and so is Ruka. However, there's a difference… Ruka is a capable _**slave**_ while you're too soft-heartened to make Natsume your personal slave," Hotaru stated coldly, and told Ruka to feed another chestnut to her.

"You know, if Hotaru didn't say that herself, I'd say that she and Ruka-pyon are having an intimate moment," Mikan whispered in Natsume's ear.

"Careful, idiot. If she catches you saying that, she'd shoot you with her baka machine gun till you're blasted to the neighbouring country," Natsume whispered back.

"What was that?" Hotaru asked suspiciously, only managing to hear the two whisper something in each other's ears.

"Nothing!" both Natsume and Mikan protested.

Hotaru raised an eyebrow, obviously not believing them. "I'll let you two pass this time, but if I catch you whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears, I will personally duck tape both of your mouths and therefore ban you two from talking disgusting romantic talk." Hotaru turned to face Ruka. "Feed me another grape."

Mikan and Natsume sweat dropped once more.

- - - - -

It was late at night, about 11 pm.

The driver was still sound asleep in the limousine, and the truck still hadn't arrived yet.

Mikan gathered some wood from the forest and handed them to Natsume. Natsume and Ruka piled up the wood, and when the pile of wood was ready, Natsume used his Fire Alice to set it on fire, thus allowing the foursome to enjoy a nice and warm campfire. By the campfire, Natsume sat down and Mikan rested her head on Natsume's chest. Natsume blushed as Mikan made herself comfortable. Hotaru and Ruka, on the other hand, were doing the complete opposite. Although Ruka wanted to do what Natsume and Mikan were doing, he had to obey his girlfriend's command. He had to allow Hotaru to sit _**on **_him.

Boy, was she heavy…

Not that Ruka minded, anyway.

At least they were having some physical contact. Ruka was already content with that.

"Ne, Natsume…" Mikan nudged.

"Hn?"

"Can you tell me a bedtime story?"

"Huh?" Natsume asked, not really believing what Mikan had just requested.

"Yeah, a bedtime story. When I was young, _Jii-chan _would always tell me a bedtime story, but later, I grew out of it. Suddenly, now, I really miss him… and his stories. So, Natsume, can you tell me a bedtime story?" Mikan requested childishly.

"Alright. Just promise you'd keep quiet all the way through, baka Mikan."

"I will!"

"Okay. A long time ago…" Natsume began telling his bedtime story to Mikan. She listened intently, even though she had heard it a million times in her life already. (A/N: In case you're wondering, it's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.)

"Ruka-kun…" Hotaru called.

"Ah?" came the tired reply.

"I think you can stop being my slave… for now. Can you, uh… sort of…" Hotaru lost her cool. She got off Ruka and settled on the floor. Blushing like hell, Hotaru requested, "Can you… uh… tell me a bedtime story too?"

"Huh? S-sure, why not?" And of course, Ruka was definitely caught off guard when Hotaru did the same action as Mikan did, which was resting her head upon Ruka's chest. Ruka blushed. "O-okay… Here goes…" And Ruka ended up telling the story of Cinderella.

When both stories were finished, both Mikan and Hotaru had already fallen asleep on their boyfriends' chests. Natsume smiled a _**tiny tiny bit **_at the sleeping Mikan, and held her close to him. '_She looks so damn cute when she's asleep…_' Natsume thought as he slowly drifted off to sleep himself. As he slept, his head rested on top of Mikan's and it was such a cute sight. It soon became double the cuteness when Ruka also drifted off to sleep and his head rested on top of Hotaru's. The stars above in the night sky twinkled, and the moonlight beamed upon the foursome. A cooling breeze blew, and the fire danced along with the breeze. Soon later, the fire went out, and the only light left was the moonlight and the twinkling stars. By that time, Mikan was smiling in her sleep as Natsume subconsciously pulled her closer to him, and Hotaru was still indifferent, even though subconsciously she was damn glad that Ruka was hugging her in their sleep. Smiles soon appeared on all their faces.

It was midnight.

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A/N: So, how was it this time? I put in midnight because it's my favourite time of the night and well, the thought of Natsume hugging Mikan and Ruka hugging Hotaru was just simply DIVINE!!! Oooohh…!!! I feel like putting that scene on DA (deviantART) but I don't know how to draw the foursome… And I have some difficulty understanding Adobe® Photoshop ® CS… XD Oh well, I should be able to understand later on.

Next chapter: Natsume, Mikan, Hotaru and Ruka finally reach Natsume and Ruka's hometown. Their first destination is to meet Ruka's parents, but when they reach Ruka's house, they learn that Ruka's parents have moved! But where did they move to? All they know that Ruka's parents have moved to another house in their hometown… The Hyuugas? Don't miss the next chapter 'Nogis and Hyuugas United!'!

Shadow: I have no comment.

Aritia: I do! I do! This will be interesting! Interesting! Interesting! Interesting!

Me: I get it, Aritia, I get it…


	4. Hyuugas and Nogis Unite!

Author's Note: I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo so so so very terribly sorry for not updating for so long! That usually happens when I get a new obsession, especially with video games and anime, but still, I shouldn't use any sorry excuse. I admit that I've neglected this fic for a really long time. Please accept my greatest apologies! _Gomen…!!!_

Disclaimer: I do not own anything concerning Gakuen Alice. Spoilers if you haven't read the part of the manga about Natsume's younger sister.

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Chapter 4 – Nogis and Hyuugas Unite!

Hours flew past by. The great Hyuuga Natsume was too impatient to get home already. When he stirred awake and saw that no help had even arrived yet – after so long – he had decided to walk back to his and Ruka's hometown, where they belonged, and he could not wait any further to get Mikan there as well. He didn't care if Mikan was going to moan and groan all day long over a little walk in the woods, for he was ready to even resort to piggybacking if necessary.

Hopefully not, though.

Otherwise, the snapshot would be a great addition to Hotaru's blackmail collection.

And Natsume surely didn't want Hotaru to be any richer than she was already.

"Natsume…?" Mikan's sleepy voice murmured as she stirred awake. She rubbed her sleepy eyes. "_Nanji desuka…?_"

"I have no idea, baka Mikan. Do I look like I have a watch to you?"

"Mou, Natsume-kun! No need to scold me! You'd be at a bad start for the day ahead!" Mikan argued. Natsume 'hmph-ed' and folded his arms.

"_Urusei, _Mikan," Hotaru's monotonous voice spoke quietly. "You wouldn't want to wake the idiotic driver up, would you?"

Mikan's eyes widened in horror, imagining what could happen if the driver were to wake up right there, right then. "Of course not…"

"Ah, so you're awake, Hotaru-chan!" Ruka's happy voice chirped as he walked out of the bushes, holding fruits and nuts in his arms. "I've got breakfast for everybody, so dig in!"

"Wah! These look even juicier than yesterday's! _Arigatou, _Ruka-pyon!" thanked Mikan as she stretched out to grab a string of grapes before Hotaru's outstretched hand came flying to Mikan's outstretched arm, smacking it away. "_Itai!!_" cried Mikan, withdrawing her hand.

"That's not for you; that's for me." Hotaru took the string of grapes and held it in front of Ruka. "Feed me."

- - - - -

"_NANI?! _We're _**walking**_?!"

"Oi, _urusei! _That damn driver's still asleep and I don't want him to wake up right now!" shouted Natsume, trying to get Mikan to keep quiet.

"But still… I don't want to walk!"

"Don't be such a lazy pig, you idiotic Mikan."

"Natsume-kuuuun…" begged Mikan with pleading puppy dog eyes.

Natsume pushed her face further away from his. "Don't use that tone with me. I don't like it when you go all cutesy on me." Of course, he hadn't meant that. In fact, what he was seriously madly in love with her about was her cheerfulness and cuteness.

"Aww… Natsume-kun, I'd rather you piggyback me there!"

Natsume eyed a certain black-haired blackmailer warily as she searched for her camera to be on standby mode. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that…" Natsume mumbled to himself.

"I think it's alright if we walk," replied Hotaru suspiciously, hiding her camera behind her back.

"You're hoping we'd be walking, aren't you?" asked Ruka, standing behind Hotaru. He noticed Hotaru's camera in her hands behind her back.

Hotaru looked at Ruka with sparkling eyes. "Whatever makes you say that, Ruka-kun?" lied Hotaru. "After all, there's no way you'd be doubting me, is there?"

Ruka blushed. "O-of course not, Hotaru-chan… But what's that camera behind your back for then?"

Hotaru snapped, "For smacking you in the head, you dolt."

And with that, Imai Hotaru's valuable camera was used as a weapon for teaching her boyfriend a lesson.

- - - - -

It didn't take the foursome long to get to Natsume and Ruka's hometown, despite the fact that it took them a really long time to convince Mikan to walk along with them, and to shut up along the way. Natsume nearly resorted to piggybacking, but refrained himself from doing so for Hotaru's camera was a perfect mechanism; it was barely intact even though it had been used to smack Ruka on the head countless of times.

Natsume and Ruka's hometown might have been small, but it was surely and most definitely a very beautiful place to live in. The houses – or bungalows – were very close to each other, and the roads were wide and short, allowing minimal passage blockage. The school was humongous, taking up a lot of space in their hometown, but it wasn't like as if Natsume and Ruka had to complain about it. It was in that school where they first met and became friends, after all.

"_Sugoi!_ So this is your hometown, Natsume-kun? It's beautiful!" Mikan complimented excitedly. "Where do you want to go first? To see your father and sister?"

Natsume looked at Ruka. "Well, it depends. Ruka, do you want to see your parents first?"

Ruka was baffled. "Huh? But why? Don't you want to see your father and sister first? After all, it wasn't so easy for them to be reunited."

"Well… You _**did **_decide to come with me to that damn Academy in the first place…"

"Natsume…" Ruka's mouth curled to a smile. "_Arigatou, _Natsume!"

"Hn."

Ruka then led the way to where he used to stay in. There were a lot of familiar people in their hometown, but the people didn't seem to recognize them so easily, for they were no longer wearing the Academy uniform and it had been so long since they have returned that the people might've forgotten how Natsume and Ruka looked like. Anyway, it didn't take a very long time for Ruka to get everyone to his house.

Even though he wasn't showing it, Ruka was very excited and nervous about seeing his family once more. Sure, he finally had the chance to see his mother again before, but that was nearly a year ago or so. His heart was beating uncontrollably; he could hardly breathe. He didn't even notice that Hotaru had to ring the doorbell for him since he was so excited and nervous that his muscles tensed up so much that he couldn't move. The door to his old house opened, revealing a very unfamiliar person. Ruka became disappointed and confused.

"Yes? Who are you? May I help you?" the person asked politely.

"Um… I would like to know if the Nogis live here," replied Ruka.

"Ah, the Nogis, you say? They used to be the owners of this beautiful mansion. I didn't see the reason why they sold it and moved…"

"They moved?! To where?!"

"Eh? Didn't you know? The whole town practically knows about it!"

"_Doko imasuka_?!" demanded Ruka.

"Yikes! No need to be so worked up! It's not like I won't tell you!"

"Then cut to the chase! Where are my parents?!"

"They moved to the Hyuugas!"

All eyes soon were on Natsume, who was as shocked as everyone was as soon as he heard about it. Natsume tried not to look shocked, but the tone of his voice gave away. "My family?"

- - - - -

**Ding dong**

"Yes, yes! I'm coming!" the artist shouted as he put down his pencil and sketchbook, rushing to the door of his house. He opened it casually. "_Ohayou gozaimasu! _What can I do for-?" His eyes widened when realization dawned upon him when he saw who was standing at his doorstep. The person was familiar to him, in terms of face and stature. His hair was a familiar raven colour, and his eyes were a familiar shade of crimson.

His very own son.

"N-Natsume?!"

For once, Natsume smiled, even though it was too small to be noticed. "Hey, _otou-san. _I'm back."

"_Otou-san! Otou-san!_" a cheery voice rang out, her footsteps echoing with every step she took. "Who's that at the door? Aoi wants to know!" As if on cue, Hyuuga Yukiaoi, aka Aoi, showed up next to her father. She saw Natsume, and her smile widened. "Eh? _Onii-chan?!_"

"Aoi!" Natsume recognized.

"Yup! It's your _imoto-san, _Aoi here, _onii-chan!_" Aoi replied happily as she proceeded to pounce on her older brother childishly, giving him a death hug. "Ne, _onii-chan_, what are you doing back home? And what are _onee-chan _and Ruka-_onii-chan _doing here?"

Natsume sure had a _**lot **_to explain.

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A/N: OK, once again, I sincerely apologise for a short chapter and a long update. _Gomen!_

Next chapter: Natsume, Mikan, Hotaru and Ruka spend some quality time with the Hyuugas and Nogis, giving the party a chance to accept Natsume and Ruka's girlfriends. Will Mikan and Hotaru turn out to be the girls the Hyuugas and Nogis, respectively, hope to be? Find out in 'My Perfect Not-so-Perfect Girlfriend'!

Me: Now, since I am officially obsessed with BLEACH and its character Hitsugaya, who shares the same _seiyuu _as Natsume (I'm not kidding! It's true!), I shall present you a BLEACH _Omake_-style _Omake!_

_OMAKE_

Natsume, Mikan, Ruka and Hotaru were wandering around in the woods, nearing Natsume and Ruka's hometown. Mikan, however, was greatly annoyed and couldn't take it any longer. "Mou! When are we getting there?!"

"I'll tell you when we do, so shut up," replied Natsume.

**After 5 minutes…**

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

**After 15 minutes…**

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

**After 25 minutes…**

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

**After 35 minutes…**

"Are we-?"

"For Gawd's sake, Mikan, I said no!"

"… Are we there yet?"

"No!"

**After 1 hour…**

"Natsume-kun, can you piggyback me?"

Natsume looked at Hotaru's grinning face, and replied, "If you want to keep your money, _**no**_."

"Then, Natsume, are we there yet?"

_**End of crappy Omake**_

_Nanji desuka?: What time is it now?__　なんじ　ですか？_

_Urusei: Shut up__　うるせい_

_Itai!: Ow!__　いたい！_

_Sugoi!: Amazing!__　すごい！_

_Doko imasuka?: Where is/are he/she/they now?__　どこ　いますか？_

_Otou-san: father__　おとうーさん_

_Onii-chan: older brother (Note: When Aoi referred to Ruka as Ruka-onii-chan, she meant Big Brother Ruka, though Ruka is not her biological brother, if you get what I'm saying… I'm terrible at explaining things, so…)__　おにいーちゃん_

_Onee-chan: older sister (Note: When Aoi referred to Mikan and Hotaru as one-chan, she meant Big Sisters. Same deal with Ruka; they aren't her biological sisters.)__　おねえーちゃん_

_S__eiyuu: voice actor__　せいゆう_

_Omake: end-of-manga-chapter strip__　おまけ_


	5. My Perfect Not So Perfect Girlfriend

Author's Note: So sorry for the long wait, but I do update!

Shadow: Yeah, once in a decade.

Aritia: You are too mean to be true. This is better than nothing!

Shadow: Whatever.

Disclaimer: Read previous chapters.

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Chapter 5 – My Perfect Not-So-Perfect Girlfriend

"Hmm… I see… So that's what happened…" Hyuuga (Natsume's father) muttered, rubbing his chin after Natsume explained everything to him. He looked at his son and his son's friends, and glanced at the sofa. "Oh! Sorry, come on in. Take a seat. Make yourselves at home!" Natsume, Mikan, Hotaru and Ruka sweat dropped anime style and entered the house. They sat down on the sofa with Natsume carrying Aoi on his lap like the _**nice **_older brother he was. Hyuuga took a seat next to Natsume. "So, son, are you thinking of moving back here? Aoi really misses you."

Natsume looked at his younger sister and patted her head. "Well, maybe…"

Ruka then asked, "Is it true that my parents are staying here with you, Mr Hyuuga?"

"Oh yes, they moved here."

"Do you know why they moved here?"

"Hmm… Well, I'm not so sure why, but they told me that the mansion they lived in held too many painful memories for them." Hyuuga shrugged. "Maybe it's because they didn't want to remember all the happy moments they shared with you lest they feel upset again."

Ruka looked at the ground, his bangs covering his eyes. "I see…" Ruka trailed off. After a while, he looked up. "Where are they now?"

Hyuuga pointed to the convenience shop across the street. "They went there for a little shopping. They should be back soon. I'm sure that they'll be euphoric to learn that you've returned."

Ruka smiled after some time. "Yeah, I hope so too. _Arigatou gozaimasu _for taking care of them."

Hyuuga smiled and shook his hand. "Oh, no, it's nothing. Nothing at all. It's what we should do to help each other."

The foursome smiled at Natsume's father's kindness, other than Natsume himself of course, since he was used to his father's helpfulness. Sometimes he wondered if he had gotten his selflessness from his father. Mikan was thinking the exact same thing, but did no action about it. She just smiled her trademark smile at Natsume. Hyuuga looked at Mikan, then at Natsume, and spoke, "So, son, looks like you got yourself a girlfriend."

Natsume and Mikan instantly blushed. Mikan stammered, "I-I t-t-think we've m-met before, M-Mr Hyuuga…"

"Yes, I suppose so. Maybe it was just a little glance, but I'm glad Natsume has gotten himself a girlfriend."

"Aoi is happy for _onii-chan _too!" Aoi exclaimed enthusiastically. Natsume patted her head again and smiled, just a little, for her.

Hyuuga then looked at Hotaru and Ruka. "And I don't suppose you two are an item as well, aren't you?"

Ruka blushed while Hotaru shot Ruka with her baka gun. He winced a little in pain, while the others stared at the two, sweat dropping anime style. Hotaru threatened, "You tell him, and I'll show everyone the photos of you dressing up as Cinderella."

"You wouldn't, Hotaru-chan!" Ruka protested, his voice barely above a whisper.

Hotaru smacked him on the head, earning more sweat drops. "I would, and it's Hotaru-_**sama **_to you, Ruka."

"_Hai…_" Ruka replied, looking down. He felt like her slave, but inside, he was glad he could get Hotaru as his girlfriend. Being her slave is equivalent to being her boyfriend, after all. Hotaru told him that rule a long time ago, so he was actually glad, not upset.

Just then the door opened and a couple with blond hair (A/N: Am I wrong? I don't know what Ruka's parents' hair looks like…) entered the house, carrying a few plastic bags full of goods from the convenience store. "Hyuuga-san, we're back," the man called out, closing the door and locking it with the house key.

"Ah, just in time, Nogi." Ruka blinked. Were his parents back already?! He felt his sweaty palms rub against each other. Boy, was he nervous about seeing his parents again… Hyuuga continued, "I have a little surprise for you."

"What is it, Hyuuga?" the woman asked, entering the living room where everyone gathered. Her eyes widened and she dropped her bags. Her eyes were on one child with beige hair and cerulean blue eyes who was just too familiar to her.

"What happened, honey?" the man asked concernedly, rushing to the living room as well. He gasped a little when he saw the child both of them were looking for. His son, Nogi Ruka, obviously. "R-Ruka?"

Ruka grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "H-hi, _otou-san, okaa-san_… It's been a while, huh?"

Ruka's mother ran over to her son's side and hugged him dearly, tears streaming down her cheeks. Ruka's father walked over to them slowly with a warm smile on his face. He patted Ruka's head and said, "I'm so glad you came, son."

"Oh Ruka… Ruka… I've missed you so…" Ruka's mother cried, ruffling her son's hair.

"I missed you too, _okaa-san_."

- - - - -

Natsume and Ruka had gone out with Aoi and Ruka's father for a little walk in the park, like spending some quality time with each other. Mikan and Hotaru, on the other hand, stayed in the household with Natsume's father and Ruka's mother. Apparently, both parties were on the topic of dating. It caused the foursome, wherever they were, blush like crazy. With Mikan and Hotaru, they couldn't help but smile along with their blushes. "Oh, Nogi-san, stop teasing those two already. Look, they're blushing," Hyuuga said, teasing the two himself.

"But I'm quite surprised, really. Who would've thought my little Ruka-chan got himself a girlfriend so soon?" Ruka's mother spoke, smiling sweetly at Hotaru. "Hotaru-chan, I hope you've been taking good care of my Ruka all this time."

Hotaru blinked. She _**hadn't **_been taking good care of Ruka; she had been abusing him since he was her slave-cum-boyfriend. Hotaru replied, "_Hai_, I've been taking good care of him. He's very obedient and listens to me and gives in to me all the time. Sometimes I wish I could do the same."

'_Hotaru is __**such **__a good liar sometimes…_' Mikan thought to herself.

"Oh, that's Hotaru-chan for you!" Ruka's mother replied, feeling very satisfied with Hotaru. "In future, I wish for you two to live happily ever after! I only ask that you don't treat Ruka as your personal slave…" Hotaru gulped. "…and everything will be fine with me!"

Hotaru blinked, her blush fading. She was the exact opposite of what Ruka's mother was expecting. She hoped that it wouldn't drift Ruka and her apart, for Mikan certainly satisfies her conditions. Hotaru gulped again. Hyuuga spoke this time, "And Mikan, though I don't know you that well yet, I'm sure Natsume as chosen the right girlfriend."

Mikan's blush deepened. "I hope so too!"

"However, knowing Natsume since he is my son, he certainly won't choose a ditzy and clumsy girl." Mikan's eyes widened and she gulped just like Hotaru did. "Natsume has never expressed any interest in clumsy girls, after all. Since he got you as his girlfriend, you are certainly not clumsy and ditzy, am I correct?"

"Y-yeah! Of course not!" Mikan lied.

'_Mikan sucks at lying… She should take lessons from me_,' Hotaru thought.

"Then I am happy," Hyuuga ended with a smile on his face.

- - - - -

"Your girlfriends are cute and sweet. No wonder you chose them," Ruka's father said as-a-matter-of-factly. Ruka blushed while Natsume looked away to hide his blush. It did not escape his younger sister's eyes.

"Ah! _Onii-chan _is blushing!" Aoi exclaimed. Normally, Natsume would glare at anyone who said that, even at Mikan, but Aoi was his sister so he made an exception. All he did in response was patting her hardly on the head.

"But knowing your father, Natsume, maybe Mikan doesn't really meet his expectations, and yours too, son," Ruka's father sighed in frustration. "I already discussed it with your mother, but she still has high expectations. Finally, she decided to lower it, but Hotaru still doesn't seem to meet her expectations."

"Really… Parents should realize that their priority is for their children to be happy, and not be forced to get a perfect girlfriend. No one in this world is perfect…" Natsume mumbled to himself.

Ruka heard him loud and clear. "Natsume, don't worry. I'm sure everything will turn out all right in the end."

Natsume grunted in reply.

- - - - -

"We're back from the walk," Natsume called out. He sounded very bored. Or dreary. Which ever worked.

"Natsume-kun!" Mikan called chirpily. She ran over to hug him. "I got something to tell you, Natsume-kun."

"_Nani?_"

"Let's go somewhere to talk about it…" Mikan suggested, dragging a reluctant Natsume to the balcony. Hotaru, on the other hand, didn't say anything and just dragged another reluctant Ruka to the kitchen. The parents sweat dropped anime style, wondering what was going on. There was an eerie silence which fell upon the living room, and then a shout from Natsume could be heard.

"You have _**got **_to be kidding me!" Natsume shouted.

Then another shout from Ruka, "No way! That's what she said?!"

More sweat drops from the parents. They were really confused as to what was going on. After a few awkward moments of silence, Natsume and Ruka could be seen storming off into the living room, glaring at their parents other than Ruka's father, and entered Natsume's room with Mikan and Hotaru following them. Aoi was very curious so she made herself scarce and entered the room as well, which Natsume didn't deny her access of. The parents sweat dropped again, not really knowing what was happening.

That night, Natsume and Ruka refused to have any food for dinner.

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A/N: The last bit was for humor's sake… XD So how was it this time? I know it's short… but the next one will be a bit longer. I promise.

Next chapter: The higher-ups have learnt of Natsume, Mikan, Ruka and Hotaru's escape from the Academy and have sent men to search for them. Their first destination would be Natsume and Ruka's hometown where an unsuspecting foursome lies! Will the foursome learn about the secret ambush and escape in time? Or do the Hyuugas and Nogis have a trick up their sleeve to ensure their safety…? Find out in 'Damn, That Was Fun!"!


	6. Damn, That Was Fun!

Author's Note: Yup, I again apologise for the slow update…

Shadow: She's so slow, isn't she?

Aritia: Shadow, you are mean!

Disclaimer: Read previous chapters.

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Chapter 6 – Damn, That Was Fun!

"What?!" one of the principals exclaimed, banging on the table in utmost fury, causing the cup of tea on it to fall and the tea to spill all over his documents. "How did this happen?!"

"Ah, ah…" the messenger boy stuttered, shuffling his feat nervously. "_S-sumimasen… _I… I'm n-not sure what happened either… But I heard from Jinno-sensei that the children have been 'finally set free', so as to speak…"

"Jinno?" The principal banged the table again, and this time the cup rolled over the table edge and fell to the ground, broken into pieces. "I never would've thought that Jinno would allow the four of them to escape! Are there any other teachers involved?!"

"Um… I, uh…"

The principal gave the messenger boy a glare. "Or don't tell me that _**all **_of the teachers in the faculty room were involved in this matter…"

"I… I'm not sure…"

"Demand all of them to my office at once!"

"R-right away, sir!"

- - - - -

Narumi, Jinno, Serina, Misaki and Noda came to the principal's office not long after. The principal was sighing away wearily, rubbing the temples of his forehead. Narumi remained neutral, Jinno and Serina looked at each other uneasily, and Misaki and Noda were looking at the ground, a bit guiltily. The principal began with a sigh, "I assume that all of you had helped the four escape."

"No, we didn't," Jinno replied, the frog on his shoulder croaking. (A/N: I love that frog XD) "We didn't do anything."

"That's the same as helping them! You still gave them your support! You showed your support by not doing anything to stop them, Jinno!" the principal accused, raising his voice.

"I, however, believe that what the children are doing is right," Narumi spoke. "People with Alices shouldn't be kept locked away in this Academy. They should be free and see the world outside of these gates holding them back in. The children's motive to escape is reasonable, therefore I don't think what they're doing is wrong."

"Are you breaking the rules, Narumi?" the principal asked, getting a little bit demanding. Narumi nodded without hesitation. The principal sighed again. "I think otherwise, Narumi. Perhaps when I get those children back to the Academy, I should personally oversee this matter. But for now, I cannot tolerate all of your defiance. I will have to get those children back immediately, and you will have nothing to do about it."

The teachers all looked at the ground sadly, hoping and praying that Natsume, Mikan, Hotaru and Ruka would all be able to escape the Academy's clutches one more time.

- - - - -

"Look, there's the place," a masked figure spoke, smiling under his mask. "That must be where the little escapees have resided in."

"Right," his comrade replied. "We'd better take them quickly."

"Wise choice," their leader spoke, obviously very pleased with his subordinates. "Remember, don't let them escape again!"

"_Hai_!"

- - - - -

Natsume lied down on his bed and began flipping through pages of his manga. Mikan was playing a board game with Aoi and both of them were having a lot of fun playing together. Occasionally, Natsume would peek from behind his manga at the two playing and then go back to reading his manga. Hotaru and Ruka were spending some quality time together in the kitchen, along with Ruka's mother. Apparently, they were in charge of making the meals for that day. When Ruka screwed up, Hotaru would refrain herself from using her baka gun on him in case Ruka's mother disapproved of their relationship due to her 'violence' towards Ruka. More like abuse, Hotaru noted evilly.

"Ok!" Hyuuga began to call out. "Natsume! Aoi! Mikan! Time for lunch!"

"Yay!" Aoi chirped with a huge smile on her face. "Come on, Mikan-_onee-chan, onii-chan! _Let's not keep _otou-san _waiting!" Aoi called, tugging Mikan's sleeve.

Mikan smiled and giggled. "Alright, alright, Aoi-chan." She then turned to face Natsume. "Natsume-kun, let's go downstairs."

"Hn," Natsume grunted in reply, not taking his amber orbs off his manga. He flipped to another page, obviously not paying any attention to Mikan whatsoever.

Mikan pouted. "Mou! Let's go already! It's not nice to keep everyone waiting!"

Natsume shot her a tiny glare. "You are really annoying at times, baka Mikan."

"Come on, Natsume-kun!" Mikan nudged, tugging Natsume's sleeve.

"Let Aoi help! Let Aoi help!" Aoi offered enthusiastically, joining Mikan in tugging and nudging a reluctant Natsume. "Come on, _onii-chan! _Let's go downstairs!"

"I'm not hungry," came Natsume's gruff reply.

"Mou, you're just as stubborn as ever, Natsume-kun!" Mikan whined.

"Whatever."

"Ok, then," Mikan declared and stopped tugging at Natsume's sleeve. "We'll just go down there without you. Come on, Aoi!"

"Ok!"

As the two walked downstairs, hand-in-hand, Natsume stared at them and sighed. He flipped to another page of his manga before mumbling to himself, "How annoying…"

- - - - -

"Hyuuga-san!" Ruka's father called out after locking the door when he came back from outside. "Son! My dear!"

Ruka was about to take a few spoonfuls of soup when he heard his father calling him. He looked up from the bowl of cream of mushroom (A/N: Yum XD) and asked, "What is it, Dad?"

"There's big trouble! I saw some shady characters wandering around in the village!" Ruka's father began to explain. "They were asking around for you, Hotaru, Mikan and Natsume! I suspect that they're from the Academy!"

"_Nani_?!" everyone except Hotaru screamed.

"I have to warn Natsume-kun!" Mikan shouted, running up the stairs leading to Natsume's room.

"Ah! Wait for me! Aoi wants to go too!" Aoi stated, following Mikan upstairs.

"This is bad… No, catastrophic!" Hyuuga shouted. "If they were to come here, who knows what will happen to the children!"

"We have to calm down and think this through," Ruka's mother suggested, even though she was panicking herself. "Besides, it's not like they know that they're here."

**Knock! Knock! Knock!**

"Open this door!" a muffled voice from outside shouted. "I know you're here, Hyuuga Natsume, Sakura Mikan, Nogi Ruka and Imai Hotaru!"

Everyone began to panic while Ruka's mother nearly passed out from shock. To think that she thought that they wouldn't even know they would even arrive… Ruka and Hotaru were the ones who kept their cool since they have been through many other scarier experiences while they were in the Academy. Take Reo's abduction, for instance. It was worse than becoming fugitives and escaping from the Academy's clutches. Hyuuga and Ruka's parents, on the other hand, began to freak out so much that Hotaru was tempted to launch her baka machine gun at them, but remembering what Ruka's mother's expectations were, she did not.

"Oi! Calm down!" an annoyed voice shouted from upstairs. It clearly belonged to Natsume. Truly, he appeared, walking downstairs with Mikan, his younger sister and his precious collection of manga. "There's no need to panic. The door's locked. They can't get in unless they have the key or useful Alices."

"Well…" the parents began to calm down and control their breathing. Heaving a sigh of relief, they added, "That _**is **_true…"

"Hey! Don't ignore us!"

Everyone ignored the voice coming from outside anyway.

"So," Hyuuga began to whisper. "If they're here for the children, we'd better take them away to escape immediately."

"No," Ruka's mother disagreed, her voice barely above a whisper as well. "It's too risky. And it's too late for that now."

"That's right," Ruka's father agreed with his wife. "I think we should think of something else."

"What do you propose we should do?" Hotaru asked.

"Hmm…" Hyuuga smiled childishly.

Natsume sweat dropped. "Dad? What are you up to?"

"I think I may just have the perfect plan…"

- - - - -

Hyuuga unlocked the door and opened it with a huge grin on his face to welcome his guests. "Ah! So sorry to keep you all waiting! Welcome! How may I help you?"

"You're Hyuuga Natsume's father, aren't you?" one of the masked figures asked, more like demanded.

"Why yes. Are you perhaps from the Academy?" Hyuuga's expression became worried and shocked. "Has my son come into any trouble?!"

"Oh no no," another figure answered calmly. "We're just here to inform you that your son has escaped the Academy, along with Sakura Mikan, Imai Hotaru and Nogi Ruka. Have you seen any of them?"

"My son escaped?! How?!" Hyuuga blinked then sighed. He was taking it too hardly. He controlled his breathing and then answered, "Never mind what I asked. Anyway, I'm sorry, I have not seen any of them."

"Really?" the leader asked suspiciously. "We'll have to search your house, in that case."

"Oh sure, come on in," Hyuuga offered. "After all, I have a clear conscience." The masked figures bowed as a form of thanking Hyuuga and entered the house. When Hyuuga closed the door, a playful smirk was on his face. He mumbled to himself, "…Not."

- - - - -

"This is my son's room," Hyuuga introduced. "It's a bit messy because I haven't cleaned it up, but I'm sure you don't mind."

"Oh no, not at all," the leader spoke on behalf of his team. "It seems that no one is here. Take us to the next room."

"Oh sure," Hyuuga answered. The masked people walked in front of him as he showed his arms to the next room. From under Natsume's bed, the familiar raven-haired amber-eyed genius peeked and couldn't help but smirk to himself. His dad was definitely a genius. Now he knew where he got his smart genes from.

"And this," Hyuuga continued, opening the door. "is my daughter's, Aoi's, room."

"Daddy!" Aoi shouted happily and jumped into Hyuuga's arms.

"Hmm… I don't think there's anyone in here too, boss," one of the masked figures stated, scanning the room. "The only person here is the child."

"Hi!" Aoi giggled, waving her hand in response.

"Yes, you're right. Hyuuga-san, take us downstairs," the leader ordered.

"Right away," Hyuuga replied, putting Aoi down. "Now, Aoi, go and play while daddy goes downstairs, okay?"

"Ok!" When Hyuuga went downstairs with the masked figures, Aoi closed the door to her room and ran towards a big pile of plush toys. "Ok, you can come out now."

The familiar auburn-eyed brunette pushed a giant plush toy off her, and greeted Aoi with a smile from the pile of toys. Aoi smiled back childishly.

- - - - -

"Hmm… Nothing here either, boss…"

"Yeah… All I see is a couple kissing," the leader replied, shuddering a little. '_I'm glad I don't have another half. It's creepy to be pulled down by a woman._'

"That's all there is to see in my house," Hyuuga finished. "Now, do you believe me when I said that I have a clear conscience?"

"…" The leader looked at his comrades, then at the kissing couple (giving another shudder) and back at Hyuuga. "Fine. I trust you. For now. Let's move out!"

"_Hai!" _his comrades shouted. Hyuuga walked them out and waved goodbye. He then closed and locked the door. He looked at the kissing parents of Ruka who winked at him and broke apart the kiss. They walked away, revealing a kissing Ruka and Hotaru behind them all this while.

"All right, all right, you two," Ruka's mother cooed. "They're gone now. You can drop the act."

Hotaru and Ruka opened their eyes. (They closed their eyes when they were kissing so passionately) Hotaru then broke the kiss, blushing like crazy. Ruka was smiling and blushing as well. That was one of the longest kisses they shared and they liked it. Natsume, Mikan and Aoi came from downstairs soon after, relieved to know that the representatives from the Academy were gone.

"Damn, that was fun!" Ruka commented, his face still red from the blush. To his surprise, Hotaru pulled his chin.

"Shut up and continue kissing me, you idiot," Hotaru ordered, kissing Ruka once more.

That earned many giggles from the parents and Mikan and Aoi, and a tiny smirk from Natsume.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: Ha, that really was fun! XD

Next chapter: The Academy has found out that the foursome lied to them and immediately sends more men to get them back. Knowing that, the foursome will have to leave the Hyuugas and the Nogis in search for a place where the Academy cannot reach them. Is this truly goodbye? Find out in 'Sayounara'!


End file.
